THREE teenagers have been arrested following a series of alleged incidents on the Mornington Peninsula as well as at Carrum Downs, Bendigo, Bentleigh, Blackburn, and Toorak, from 1-5 January.

The three boys, one aged 14 and two aged 15, have been charged under Operation Gully with a range of offences, including aggravated burglary and robbery. They have been remanded in custody.

The boys were among a group of 11 alleged offenders arrested by detectives from the Southern Metro Region crime team who have been cracking down on aggravated burglaries, car thefts, robbery and driving offences throughout January.

Detective Inspector Peter Harrington said: “[We] have been working closely with police across the state to swiftly identify and arrest offenders committing serious offences.

“With the increase of movement throughout the community, we’ve seen a number of instances where groups of young people have been committing a series of offences together across different parts of the state, not just in their local neighbourhood.

“We know the deep impact these types of crimes can have on both the victims and broader community [which] is why we have been working around the clock to put a stop to this offending and hold people to account.

“With many people returning to on-site work for the first time in almost 12 months, we implore everyone to stay one step ahead of opportunistic thieves by securing their homes and cars.”

If you need immediate police assistance always call Triple Zero (000). Report any suspicious behaviour to your local police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 2 February 2021